Six political groups of the European Parliament (EP) presented separately this Tuesday, September 13, some resolution proposals on “Nicaragua, in particular the arrest of Bishop Rolando Álvarez”in which they demand their freedom and that of other religious, as well as that of the rest of the political prisoners of the Ortega regime.
The MEPs agreed to “strongly” condemn the escalation of repression and systematic persecution against “members of the Catholic Church, as well as human rights defenders, opponents, peasants, journalists, students and indigenous people for the sole exercise of their fundamental freedoms in Nicaragua. ”.
The six resolution proposals will be discussed and unified in a single text, which will be voted this Thursday, September 15. Previously, on Wednesday, September 14, there will be a debate on the situation in Nicaragua in the plenary session of the European Parliament, at its headquarters in Strasbourg, France.
In the European Parliament there are seven political groups, each made up of at least 23 MEPs. The benches with the most members are the European People’s Party (178); the Socialists and Democrats (144); and Renew Europe (100).
In recent months, the Ortega regime has carried out a series of repressive acts against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which until now has left Bishop Álvarez under house arrest; seven priests, two seminarians and a layman imprisoned, 18 religious taken out of the country and the closure of a dozen religious media. In addition, the National Police has entered by force and raided a parish, preventing parishioners from receiving the Eucharist inside the temple and besieging other priests in their churches.
Support other priests
“Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all people arbitrarily detained, accused and sentenced, including Bishop Rolando Álvarez and those detained along with his arrest, annul all judicial proceedings against him, including his sentences,” reads the proposal of the Group of Socialists and Democrats.
Along with Álvarez, the following were arrested: José Luis Díaz and Sadiel Eugarrios, first and second vicar of the San Pedro cathedral, respectively; Ramiro Tijerino, rector of the John Paul II University and in charge of the San Juan Bautista parish; Deacon Raúl González; and seminarians Darvin Leyva and Melkin Sequeira. All are held in the Judicial Assistance Directorate (DAJ), known as El Chipote.
Among the seven priests detained, there are two convicted by Ortega justice: the first was the priest Manuel Garcia Rodriguez, accused of alleged violence against a woman, who later recanted and was also imprisoned by the regime. The second is Monsignor Leonardo Urbina, signaled for an alleged rape of a teenager.
The bench of the European People’s Party asks the European Union (EU) to maintain its support “to civil society organizations, rights defenders and relatives of political prisoners both in Nicaragua and in exile, including priests Uriel Vallejos, Vicente Martínez, Sebastián López and Mangel Hernández”.
In a recent interview with the digital media CSI Mosaicthe priest Vallejos said that the Catholic Church has no political interests and only seeks to “safeguard human life”, for that reason “will never be next to those who murdernext to those who kill.
